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activated carbon a form of very porous and thus very absorbent carbon, produced by heating charcoal so as to empty out contained gases, and used to absorb other gases, recover solvents, deodorize, and the like; activated charcoal.
activated charcoal see "activated carbon."
aerate to fill or charge (a liquid) with a gas, esp. carbon dioxide. [1/3 definitions]
afterburner a device for burning partially burned carbon compounds in the exhaust fumes of an internal-combustion engine. [1/2 definitions]
aldehyde in chemistry, any of a group of organic compounds, such as formaldehyde, the molecule of which contains a terminal carbon atom bound separately to a hydrogen and an oxygen atom.
aliphatic indicating an organic chemical compound in which the carbon atoms make an open chain.
amine any of a group of ammonia derivatives in which hydrogen atoms have been replaced by organic groups containing hydrogen and carbon.
asphyxia a lack of oxygen or excess of carbon dioxide in the lungs that results in suffocation.
atomic mass unit a unit equal to one twelfth of the mass of an atom of the most abundant kind of carbon, equal to 1.6605 times 1024 gram.
baking powder a powder containing sodium bicarbonate and an acidic substance, that serves as a leavening agent in baking by releasing carbon dioxide when mixed with water, thereby causing the dough to rise.
benzene ring the graphic representation of the benzene molecule or its derivatives as a hexagon with a carbon atom at each of its six points, and with attached atoms of hydrogen or other elements.
biogas any gaseous fuel produced by the bacterial decomposition of organic matter, composed primarily of methane and carbon dioxide.
blackdamp a suffocating gas composed of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, found as a residue of fires and explosions of combustible gases in mines; chokedamp.
butyl any of four hydrocarbon radicals having three carbon molecules and a valence of one.
butyl alcohol any of four isomeric alcohols with three carbon molecules, obtained from petroleum products and used in organic synthesis or as solvents.
C2 symbol of the chemical element carbon.
carbide a binary compound of carbon and another element, such as calcium or various metals.
carbo- carbon.
carbohydrate any of a class of organic compounds including sugars, starches, and celluloses that are formed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and that are important in plants and necessary to animal and human nutrition. [2 definitions]
carbon a chemical element that has six protons in each nucleus and that occurs in pure forms as diamond and graphite, or in a large variety of compounds such as carbon dioxide, carbohydrates, and petroleum hydrocarbons. (symbol: C) [7 definitions]
carbon 14 a radioactive isotope of carbon that has a half-life of about 5,700 years and whose presence in rock, fossils, and other archaeological specimens enables them to be dated.